After The Blast
by BraveryMasksFragileLives
Summary: Two thousand years after humanity was almost destroyed by government powers, Naomi and the gang struggle for survival in the changed world.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first attempt at FanFic so all constructive criticism is appreciated. Also, it's completely un-beta checked so I apologize for any errors.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a MacBook, a 1999 Honda Civic, and the cutest dog on the planet.**

It was the screaming that woke her. It was a sound of such pain and terror that tears sprang into her eyes even as she jerked upright. She was on her feet in seconds, her knife in her hand and her body tensed in anticipation. Heart pounding and sweat dripping down her back, she quickly scanned the perimeter. The screaming had stopped, but it still echoed in her ears. She looked over to where Effy was meant to be keeping watch, but could see nothing. She strained her eyes through the dark, searching. Looking for something. Anything. She caught a slight movement in the trees and, suddenly, Effy materialized out of the shadows.

Moonlight lit the planes of Effy's face, highlighting it. She was beautiful, there was no doubt of that. Hers was the kind of beauty of which The Ancient poets wrote. A thing of great mystery. Of great art. For Effy, however, it had brought only trouble.

Effy's blue eyes met Naomi's, glinting with a hint of sadness and worry. It was enough to confirm that the screaming Naomi had heard had been her own. Again. _Third time this week_, she thought as she sat back down on her bedding, taking deep breaths to calm down. As soon as the adrenaline began to leave her body, she reached into her pack, pulling out the journal. She caressed the worn leather cover and inhaled the welcome scent of paper as she untied the bindings. She opened the journal, being careful not to lose any of the contents.

The journal was the last thing she had of her mother's. Naomi could still remember sitting at her feet, listening to her read from it. Her mother had collected notes and stories of the old days. Parts of songs. Pieces of poetry. Tales of distant heroes. Descriptions of the creatures that roamed during the time of The Ancients. Naomi's mother had loved everything about The Old World.

Naomi brushed her fingertips over the pages as she gently flipped to the most recent section. She knew that she needed to write down the memory while it was fresh, but she dreaded reliving it. She took a deep breath and, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes, she began to remember.

_Naomi had turned thirteen that day and she'd been forced to spend the day in the woods with her mother. They were there to gather food for the winter, but Naomi had spent more of her time complaining than helping. She knew she was being a brat - her mother was doing the best she could - but she couldn't seem to stop herself. She resented having to work on her birthday. It should be her day. A part of her felt that she should be being more mature about the whole thing, but another stronger part just wanted to pout. She was about to launch into another self-pitying rant when suddenly she was jerked off her feet and into strong arms. An involuntary scream was ripped from her throat before she realized it was just her brother, Freddie. _

_She scowled at him. "You scared me, Freds!" Her lip worked its way into a pout._

_Freddie swung her around, teasing her out of her bad mood. "Noams, if I knew you were going to be a moody cow, I wouldn't have come back early."_

_"Did you come back for my birthday?" Naomi asked excitedly, beaming up at him. At fifteen, Freddie was everything that Naomi dreamed of being. He was smart and charming, athletic and brave. And in Naomi's eyes, he could do no wrong._

_She knew of course that Freddie wasn't really her brother. All you had to do was look at the two of them to see that. His dark hair and eyes and olive skin were a stark contrast to both her and Gina's blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and pale complexions, but, regardless, he was family. _

_Naomi's mother, Gina, had taken him in when he was five. He had been a pitiful little thing, all skin and bones, living in an abandoned building. It had taken Gina almost a week to lure him out of his hiding places, but, eventually, food won out over fear. Over the next three months, that bond of trust had grown until Freddie finally was able to tell of his life. His stilted, but simple telling of how he watched his father and sister be killed by Razors tore at Gina's heart and she vowed to never let him know such pain again. Since then the three of them had been a family. _

_"We weren't having any luck so we turned back early." Freddie answered Naomi's question. "We'll have to try the hunt again later." Gina looked at him sharply, hearing the lie in his voice. _

_Freddie met Gina's gaze, worry and anger lurking in his eyes. She searched his face for the cause of his concern and, noticing his quick glance at Naomi, nodded once. "She is old enough now." Gina said, simply._

_Freddie nodded back, answering her silent question. "Razors," he said shortly, a muscle in his jaw twitching. "Some of the lads spotted fresh tracks. We need to take shelter."_

_Naomi's eyes widened in fear and all thoughts of her birthday dropped from her. "Here?" Her voice sounded shrill to her own ears. "Razors never come this far west. There are too many towns."_

_Gina turned to Naomi, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We've been hearing tales of attacks for a few months. Stories of Razors attacking villages. I had hoped that they were just rumors."_

_Freddie was scanning the woods as they spoke. "Rumors or not, we should hole up for the night; somewhere away from the village. Based on the tracks, they're circling around the outskirts. There's a cave not too far from here. It will give us shelter and has water."_

_Naomi and Gina followed Freddie out of the clearing and deeper into the woods where the trees grew more densely. Freddie's sense of urgency spread to them, causing them to increase their pace through the woods. After years of hunting in the woods, they had trained themselves to move without a sound and now the silence of the woods hovered oppressively, broken only by the occasional cry of a bird. _

_They moved deep into the woods, following the river to a rocky outcropping. When they were within 100 yards of the rocks, Freddie motioned to stop. He circled around getting a feel for the area before finally indicating that it was clear. Naomi and Gina joined him by the water's edge. They followed Freddie through the river, allowing the current to wash away their tracks. Naomi strained her eyes to find the cave, but could not see any evidence of one. Just as she began to get disheartened, Freddie halted their little group. He turned to his right and pulled back on some reeds. Sure enough there was a small entrance to a cave. Gina moved through the opening and Naomi followed shortly behind. At last Freddie joined them, rearranging the plant life to cover the opening._

_Freddie showed them how the water pooled in the cave and refilled their water containers. "We should be safe here." He said softly._

_Gina squeezed his shoulder. "Thank you, Freddie."_

_"How long will we have to stay here?" Naomi asked in a subdued tone._

_"A day or two," Freddie answered. "They'll have moved on by then."_

_"I guess it's a good thing we spent the day gathering," Gina said, forcing a cheerful note into her voice._

_They ate a small supper of berries and plants they had gathered, then huddled together under the blanket from Freddie's hunting pack and tried to get some sleep. _

_It had only been a few hours when they were woken by noises outside the cave. Naomi felt Freddie roll to his feet and then heard his voice close to her ear, "Stay here. No matter what happens, stay here." He moved to the mouth of the cave to get a look. Almost instantly he was back. "Razors," he breathed. "Don't make a sound."_

_The three huddled in terror, trying desperately to breathe silently. The noise from outside increased and Naomi tried to make sense of the sounds. She could hear men talking. Every so often she caught the creak of a wagon and the sound of a hoof hitting a rock. She got the impression that the Razors were simply moving past the cave._

_As the sound of wagons got louder, a snippet of conversation floated in. _

_"How many did you get from the last village?" A rough voice asked. _

_A second voice replied, but was too muffled for them to make out the words. _

_Naomi felt Freddie stiffen beside her. She glanced at him quickly, the beams of moonlight illuminating the cave just enough for her to see the muscle in his jaw twitching. _

_Suddenly she realized what was making him angry. Those weren't Razors. That meant that there were men working with them. Naomi was confused. She was smart and had been trained well. She knew well that there were bands of men that roamed the forests, men that should be avoided at all costs. Never had she heard of humans working with Razors though._

_Even through the dark she could sense her mother having a silent conversation with Freddie. Eventually Gina reached over and squeezed his hand. He was on his feet and at the mouth of the cave in seconds, his bow in his hands. He quickly scanned outside and then slipped out into the night. _

_Naomi shot to her feet and moved toward the opening, Gina hot on her heels. They peered out, seeing two armed men trailing a wagon. In the back of the wagon was a large cage filled with people. They seemed to be unconscious and some of them had large wounds. As the wagon moved past the opening, Naomi gasped. These were people from her village. A shadow behind the men caught her eye. Freddie._

_She heard a sharp twang and then started slightly as an arrow appeared in the first man's chest. His companion stared dumbly at the injured man as he fell. Before the second man could raise an alarm, he too fell to one of Freddie's arrows. Freddie materialized from the shadows and moved directly to the wagon, beginning to sneak up behind the driver. All of a sudden Naomi caught a glint of light behind Freddie. She looked over and saw another armed man closing the distance between himself and Freddie's back. Grabbing her knife, she snuck out of the cave and crept behind the man. She was almost upon him when she misstepped. The crack of the twig sounded like an explosion to her ears and she froze as the armed man whipped around._

_His eyes locked with Naomi's for a second. She leapt forward and buried her knife in his side. The man collapsed and Naomi watched dazedly as he sank to the ground. I killed him, she thought in a fog. _

_Suddenly all Hell broke loose. The wagon driver had spotted Freddie, crying out an alarm. Freddie slit his throat, but it was too late. More men arrived on the scene and Freddie pulled his sword. He fought off three, leading them away from Naomi. Two more men appeared, but, suddenly, Gina stood in their way, knife glinting in her hand. Naomi moved to help her. _

_"Freddie," Gina called. "Get her out of here."_

_Freddie grabbed Naomi before she could get to her mother. "You have to get out of here, Noams!" He started pushing her toward the woods even as she fought him. _

_"I can help, Freddie. I have to help." She cried frantically, seeing more men on their way. She thrashed about in his arms._

_"Forgive me," He whispered causing Naomi to look up in surprise. Freddie's fist came down across her face and everything went black._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Okay, here's chapter 2. I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors. I do my best, but usually I write at 2am so...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but natural blonde hair.**

"Anything new?"

Naomi looked up from her journal, startled by Effy's voice, but not surprised to see that she had snuck up on her. One of Effy's greatest assets was her ability to be a part of the forest.

Naomi looked at her friend, thoughtfully. Most people found Effy to be a mystery, an enigma - and many times she was - but Naomi could always read her. After so long - and so much - with someone, you can't help but learn them. What Naomi saw now worried her. It was clear that Effy wasn't getting enough sleep. There were lines around her eyes and hallows in her cheeks made all the more prominent by the run of bad luck they'd had hunting. What struck Naomi the most though were the deep-seated shadows in Effy's eyes. There was a fear and a darkness in them that Naomi hadn't seen in a long time.

She sighed mentally as she realized that she was the cause of much of that. Her nightmares had been getting increasingly worse and she knew it was taking a toll on Effy. Naomi was all she had left.

Naomi moved to reassure her. "Not much, Eff, but there's a little bit every time. The dreams aren't fun, but they are useful."

Effy seemed to relax a little at Naomi's positive tone. She sat down next to Naomi, glancing at the journal. "Well then?"

Naomi squeezed her knee before looking down at what she had written. "I'm starting to remember more, Eff. I remembered my mom telling me that there had been reports of Razors attacking villages. And-" Naomi took a deep breath to fight her tears, feeling steadier when Effy grasped her hand. "And I know why I blacked out."

Effy looked at her sharply. In the 12 years that she had known Naomi, one of the greatest questions they'd had was what caused Naomi to pass out that night. "What happened, Nai?" Effy asked softly.

"Freddie hit me." Naomi flinched a little as she said the words aloud. "He asked me to forgive him and then he punched me in the head."

Effy tried to process what Naomi was saying. She didn't know Freddie - she hadn't met Naomi until almost two years after the attack - but this information didn't fit with what she knew from Naomi's memories. She squeezed Naomi's hand. "There's a reason." She said assuredly. "We'll ask him when we find him."

Naomi smiled a little at Effy's confident words. "We have no proof that he's alive. That any of them are alive."

"We have no proof that they're dead and, until we do-"

"-we soldier on." Naomi finished with a nod.

"There's something else that we learned, Nai." Effy said thoughtfully. "If your mom told you that people already were hearing about Razor attacks, then we know that the raids started at least 15 years ago."

Naomi tilted her head thoughtfully. "I hadn't thought of that. Do you think that means something?"

Effy shrugged. "I can't help but think that figuring out why the Razors changed might help us figure out how to fight them."

Naomi was quiet for a moment before speaking up. "There's something else. This time the attackers weren't Razors." Effy looked at her in surprise. "The wagons were guarded by men. Men with weapons." Naomi pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "I don't know what to believe, Eff. The dream has always shown Razors attacking, but this…this felt real."

Effy looked pensive. "It would make sense, Nai. There has to be someone behind everything. The Razors couldn't do this on their own."

Naomi knew that Effy had a theory that someone was controlling the Razors. She just didn't know who. Or why. She was probably right, though. The Razors were beast-like in their simplicity and brutality. They attacked as animals, wild and savage, cutting through anything in their path. They simply weren't capable of the kind of strategy involved with the raids.

The legend said that they were once humans, men and women changed by The Blast. Naomi thought back to the days were her mother would tell her of the world's history. Her eyes closed as she remembered the cadence of her mother's voice as she told the story.

_"During the time of The Ancients, the world was different. Humans and animals populated the lands. Powers rose and fell and all the while, progress was made. Connections were formed and soon all the world was able to communicate and interact. Yet, even as technology brought the world together, governments used it to build machines to tear the world apart. They began to compete with each other to be the first. The first to build weapons. Then the first to build bigger weapons. Weapons even more capable of destruction. _

_Many groups coveted this power and rich and powerful men poured money into the projects until all the world lived in fear of a few small factions. The weapons designed became more and more dangerous, more and more deadly. "They are the only way to keep the peace," argued the rich men to justify their actions. Still the powers fought. _

_For years they fought. Some would win and some would lose, but still they fought on, letting innocent lives be crushed under their petty squabbles. Even so, through it all, the balance was kept; the factions' greed for power was tempered by the fear of annihilation. Until the day it wasn't. Until the day one group took the final step toward total domination and, with a press of a button, sent fire raining down on the world. _

_The other factions responded with their own weapons and, in an instant, the face of the world was changed. Cities were no more. Technology ceased to exist. The world was plunged into The Age of Darkness."_

_Naomi leaned her tiny body forward, holding her breath with all the excitement her four-year-old self could contain. At six, Freddie tried to appear more nonchalant, but Gina knew he was dying to hear the rest too. She smiled down at both of them and continued:_

_"While many were killed, three groups survived. The first group, The Dwellers, was composed of people around the world that, fearing the inevitable destruction, fled into tunnels and caves before The Blast. There they dwelled for many decades until life under the earth became to hard to sustain. Still human, they integrated with the people of the world, but life in the dark had changed them, physically as well as mentally. Their pale skin and light-colored eyes made them instantly recognizable, but it was their knowledge of the local cave systems that made them valuable to the people of the villages. These were the people who had lived far enough from the cities to survive The Blast. A mishmash of people and cultures, most of them had adapted to a rural life based on hunting and farming and, in so doing, had established villages and towns. Now, a thousand years after The Dwellers emerged, the groups have mixed together so much that you can't tell one from another except for one with The Gift. It is said that one with The Gift has the ability to sense things before they happen. They are even rumored to be able to read minds. It is their eyes that give them away though. So intensely blue that they seem to pierce your soul, you can help but know they have The Gift."_

_Gina paused slightly to catch her breath. Before she could continue, Freddie chimed in, "What about the third group, Mummy?"_

_Gina's eyes welled up as she realized it was the first time Freddie had called her mum, but she moved on so as not to embarrass him._

_"As you know, love, the third group were The Razors. These poor souls were people unfortunate enough to survive the heart of The Blast. Now many of the weapons the factions had created targeted not just to the bodies, but the minds of its victims. It was to these weapons that The Razors fell. Their bodies were disfigured by the weapons causing them to grow thickened, armor-like skin upon their backs and chests. In addition, they developed sharp blades of bones along their arms and legs that could cut through human flesh like it was paper. Worst of all, The Blast twisted their minds. Creatures that were once humans - people with families, friends, loves - now could feel nothing but rage and hate. Instinctively violent, they became a legitimate fear for all those living outside a village. No one knows where The Razors live or why they attack when they do, but all people must be vigilant if they mean to survive."_

_Naomi had heard this story many times and could probably recite it herself. Nonetheless she asked excitedly, "What about The Chosen, mummy? Tell us about them."_

_Freddie's eyes widened as he looked expectantly at Gina. Gina chuckled softly._

_"Well, my darlings, it is said that a fourth group emerged some 200 years after The Blast. They called themselves The Chosen. The stories say that The Chosen were a group of villagers who followed a leader who claimed that he spoke for God. When their numbers grew large enough to brave The Razors, they disappeared into the woods. They haven't been heard from since, but every so often a story will come out of The Wild that The Chosen still live."_

_Gina smiled at the enraptured little faces before her. "And now, little ones, it is time to get ready for bed. Off to the basin and wash your faces."_

_Naomi and Freddie protested the idea of bed, but dutifully rose to do as they were told. After they were scrubbed clean, Gina tucked them into bed, giving each a kiss and a whispered blessing._

Naomi's eyes filled with tears as her mother's words echoed in her mind. _"May the light of the world illuminate your heart. Always."_

She shook her head against the bittersweet memory. "We're obviously not going to solve anything tonight." She glanced at Effy, noting again the bags under her eyes and lines on her face. "Go grab some sleep, Eff. I'll take watch."

Effy was too tired to argue so simply nodded, curled up on her bedding, and promptly fell asleep. Naomi watched Effy's face relax into sleep and smiled, thinking how young she looked. She gently tucked a blanket around her shoulders before looking around. She spotted a tree that she liked and, bow and full quiver on her back, quickly shimmied up into the branches so she would have a better vantage point.

She made herself more comfortable amidst the leaves, making sure that her weapons were within easy reach. She and Effy both knew that their survival depended on never letting down their guard. Naomi glanced down at the sleeping girl and smiled a little thinking of all they had been through together.

_Naomi had spent the first couple years after the raid wandering through the woods with the survivors of her village. The nomadic life was an unforgiving one and she became tough - hard even. Gone was the lighthearted - if somewhat moody - girl she was with her family. She learned to hunt better, to fight, to kill. She also learned to trust no one. Moving from camp to camp was hard on the villagers, both physically and mentally. The trust they had once shown one another began to disappear as food and supplies grew scarce. The pleasant feel of their village had taken on a sour, bitter edge._

_As the years passed, Naomi blossomed into the beauty that had been merely a promise as a child. While most of the boys of the village kept a respectful distance, there was one boy who would not stay away. Luke was the type of boy who gained pleasure from inflicting pain on others. He always took the belly shot instead of the kill. He used his size and power with the other boys to gang up on the smaller kids in the camp. Naomi hated him with every fiber of her being._

_Some months before her fifteenth birthday, Naomi left the camp before dawn intending to spend the day hunting. It was her plan to gather enough supplies so that she could set out on her own, away from the bitter memories, away from the leering glances, away from the terrible reality of what her village had become. _

_She moved swiftly through the woods, heading for the river where she knew there would be deer. As she approached the water, she heard the snap of a twig behind her. She whirled around quickly, knife already in hand. She saw a blur from the corner of her eye and then felt a stabbing pain in her wrist where the branch had hit it. She dropped the knife and fell to one knee as spots appeared behind her eyes. She quickly searched for the knife in the ground cover and had just brushed her fingers over something metal when she was jerked to her feet._

_She found herself face to face with Luke, his hot breath smelling of alcohol. "Well, well, if it isn't The Ice Queen." Luke sneered at her. His friends laughed drunkenly from their positions around him. "I think it's time that you and me get to know each other a little better, eh, Icy?" He knocked her to the ground and began to fumble with his pants. Naomi thrashed around trying to get away, but he quickly pinned her down. "You won't get away that easy. It's time someone taught you not to be so high and mighty." Naomi looked at him coldly before spitting in his face. His hand connected with her jaw immediately, splitting open her lip and knocking her to the side. She smiled slightly through her pain as she felt her fingers grasp the handle of her knife. She waited until the last possible moment and as Luke moved back slightly she rolled quickly slashing at his ribs and leaving a bloody track in her wake. She was on her feet and running in an instant. She could hear the shouts of Luke's friends as they began to chase her. _

_She ran and ran, ignoring the blinding pain in her head and wrist. She ran until her lungs burned and her legs felt like lead. Just when she thought she could run no more, she crashed into something and went tumbling down the hillside. The something - a girl, as it turned out - grunted in pain as she fell in tandem. Despite having the wind knocked out of them, they recovered quickly and scrambled to their feet, facing off warily. Naomi studying the other girl. She was slight in an almost ethereal way. She was also covered in mud, deliberately Naomi guessed from the sheer amount of it. Naomi shivered slightly as she and the girl locked eyes; they were the bluest eyes she had ever seen. She could see the intelligence there along with a deep fear. She quickly looked over the other girl again, taking in her slightly wild manner. For some reason, she was not afraid of this girl._

_Naomi relaxed her guard slightly and was surprised when the girl gave an impish smirk. "We need to hide. They'll be here soon." The girl said quietly, beginning to climb back up the hill. "Follow me." Naomi blinked, but did as she was told, allowing the slight girl to lead her to a well hidden cave. Once inside Naomi let her eyes adjust before beginning to take stock of her surroundings. She noted the equipment laid out - two sleeping rolls, canteens, food, weapons - everything one might need to traverse the woods alone. The soft voice carried across the cave. "We'll have everything we need."_

_"Who are you?" Naomi asked in wonder. "Where did you come from?"_

_"Effy." The smaller girl replied succinctly. "You needed me so I came." _

_Naomi stared at her for a minute before realizing, "You have The Gift." Effy's eyes widened slightly, a shadow appearing in them, but her face remained impassive. Naomi nodded slightly. "Sweet. I'm Naomi, by the way."_

_It was Effy's turn to stare. "You're not scared of me?"_

_"Should I be?" Naomi asked curiously. Effy shook her head. "Okay, then."_

_Effy was silent for a moment before smirking slightly. "Cool."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Sorry for the break between chapters. I started back up at school which through my schedule off a bit. I will hopefully have another chapter next week.**

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Skins because, if I did, it would have been six seasons of Naomily.**

She loved being in the trees. The smell of the leaves. The gentle breeze flowing through the branches. And the quiet. Oh, the quiet. She swore that, if she climbed high enough, it was like nothing existed but her and the wind. Emily smiled slightly at that thought. Having a twin meant that things were never just her and having a twin like Katie meant that things were never quiet.

Emily supposed it wasn't all that surprising considering the circumstances of their birth.

_Their mother had been the daughter of the village leader and their father, the it's greatest hunter. The marriage of Jenna and Rob was heralded by all the town as the perfect union and, when Jenna found herself to be pregnant just six months later, all the townspeople celebrated the coming of a new member to the Fitch legacy. _

_On the night Jenna went into labor the whole town gathered round, waiting anxiously. Katie arrived in spectacular fashion, screaming her head off and demanding everyone's attention. The midwife cleaned her up and handed her to Rob, who barely had time to see his daughter before she was swept into the arms of Jenna's father and brought before the people of the village. Upon seeing the tiny girl, the villagers let out a great cheer, laughing as Katie joined her voice to the mix. Caught up in their festivities, not one of them noticed that Jenna was not yet done. _

_Just six minutes later though another tiny girl arrived. Although they shared a face, this girl was as different as could be from her brash older sister. Little Emily did not cry, but rather lay calmly in her father's arms, quiet and content. _

_After being passed from person to person, attention lavished upon her by the whole town, Katie was brought back into her family's home, her faced scrunched up and red, and her lungs pouring out her displeasure. Rob cooed softly to Katie as he laid the girls side by side in their crib. Katie's cries lessened slightly at his gentle tone, but it wasn't until Emily's tiny fingers brushed her own that she calmed completely. Sending up a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of these two precious lives, Rob looked down at his little girls and vowed that he would never let any harm come to them._

Emily's eyes welled as she remembered how often he would tell Katie and her of that promise. He kept it too, she thought, until the very end. She could feel that familiar sense of melancholy starting to hit her and she shook her head, as if to physically throw off her sadness.

She glanced at the sky briefly. There wasn't too much time before the rest of her little band would be awake. Better make the most of it, she thought to herself. She stood up on the branch on which she had been lounging. Time to find some breakfast.

With all the ease and skill of an acrobat, Emily climbed swiftly down the tree until she was about halfway to the ground. She assessed the surrounding trees quickly, picking out her target. Without looking back she launched herself toward her chosen branch. She landed lightly, barely pausing before leaping again. She continued to run from branch to branch, tree to tree, her teeth flashing as she grinned.

Finally she paused when she reached a tree that seemed suitable. She looked down searchingly. There. She smiled widely as she saw the jackrabbit emerging from a hole at the base of the tree. Another followed quickly behind it. Silently she pulled two long, thin arrows from the quiver on her back. She took the shots quickly feeling pleased with herself as she saw each of them hit their marks.

She jumped down from the tree, eager to claim her prize. The rabbits were big - over two feet long - and Emily's mouth watered at the thought of stew with actual meat. She quickly trussed up the animals, making sure to wrap them so she wouldn't leave a blood trail that would invite animals - or other predators - to follow.

It didn't take Emily long to get back to where they were camped. Katie often questioned how she was able to move through the trees and then come right back to where she started. Emily could never fully explain it. She had always had an impeccable sense of direction, but it was more than that. It was like she could feel the energy left in a place and so she was always able to find her way back to where she wanted to be. Even now she could sense that she was close to her sister and her friends, like invisible ties where pulling her towards them.

Emily made her way into the little clearing, smiling at the blonde girl tending the fire. "Alright, Panda?"

The other girl looked up suddenly and grinned back. "Yeah, whizzer, Ems. How was the flying?"

Emily laughed and rolled her eyes, "You know I can't really fly. It's just a lot of jumping."

"If you say so, Ems. All I know is when I tried it, I did more falling." Panda was absentmindedly stirring a pot of what looked like the start of a vegetable stew all the while sneaking glances toward where the rest of the group was sleeping. Occasionally she would sigh and smile dreamily.

Emily's lips twitched slightly. It wasn't exactly a secret that Panda fancied Thomas. Everyone knew. Everyone except Thomas. Emily couldn't really blame her - he was a lovely boy after all - she just hoped that Panda wasn't going to get her heart broken. Deciding a distraction was in order, she held up her rabbits. "Care to add a bit of something to that stew?"

Panda shrieked her approval, practically leaping over the fire to snatch the animals. She did a little dance of excitement as she brought the rabbits over to her makeshift table to clean them.

"Nice work, Emilio man!"

Emily turned around to see her best friend emerging from the shelter he had set up. "'Bout time you got your lazy arse out of bed, Cook." Emily shot at him without any real malice.

"It's important to have beauty sleep, innit?" He said with a cocky grin.

"Especially when you're as ugly as you." She grinned back as he held a hand to his heart and stumbled back as though wounded.

He made his way over to her and slung an arm around her shoulder, guiding her attention to where Thomas had emerged and was now helping Panda clean the rabbits. "Reckon that's a goer?" He asked softly.

Emily shrugged. "Hard to tell. Can't get a read on Thomas."

Thomas was new to their little group. They had stumbled across him in the woods six months back where he was surviving off the land. A nasty run-in with a pack of wolves had recently left him with a badly infected leg. Panda's medicines took care of his infection quickly enough and, once his leg was healed up, he had proved to be a valuable member of their ragtag little band. His knowledge of edible plants and ability to lay snares and traps had on more than one occasion kept them from going hungry. Yet in all that time, Emily still hadn't been able to learn much about him. He was quiet almost to the point of being secretive. Strangely enough it was Katie who had bonded with him. She was as loud as he was quiet but, after discovering that they both spoke French, the two of them would sit for hours chatting softly in the melodic language. At first Emily had worried that Katie's bond with Thomas and Panda's clear infatuation with him would create a problem, but Katie seemed to see Thomas as the older brother she'd never had.

Emily watched now as his white teeth gleamed in contrast with his dark skin when he smiled. His eyes sparkled as he looked down at Panda and he chuckled softly at whatever she had said to him. Perhaps there was a chance for her, Emily thought. She was pulled back to the conversation as she heard the end of Cook's sentence.

"-after all, Cookie's always happy to lend little Cookie to help out a bird in need." He waggled his tongue at Emily. "Oi!" He shouted as she cuffed him on the back of the head. "Alright, alright. I know. Birds in the family are off limits, but, I tell ya, Red. Cookie needs some action something fierce."

"I know, Cook." Emily sighed. "We'll be stopping over at the next village and you can find a girl there. You know the rules though-"

"Yeah, yeah. Only single girls." Cook looked at her with a face-splitting grin. "It's just so hard to turn 'em all away!"

Emily rolled her eyes and turned toward where she knew her sister was sleeping. She prodded at Katie's sleeping form with the toe of her boot. Katie barely stirred, causing Emily to push harder.

"Piss off, bitch." The grumbled words came from under the blanket.

"Fine. More rabbit stew for me then."

Katie shot upright, her deep brown eyes locking with Emily's identical pair. "Meat? There's actual meat?" At Emily's nod she jumped up, blinking the last remnants of sleep from her eyes. She looked critically at her little sister. "What are you so happy about?"

Emily shrugged. "I don't know. I just have a feeling something important is going to happen soon. I think things are going to finally start coming together."

Katie frowned slightly. "I hope so." She looked around the clearing taking in their friends. Her shoulders slumped a little. "I don't know how much longer we can do this, Ems. We can't outrun them forever; we need answers."

Emily squeezed her shoulder. "I know. We'll find them soon enough."

The five of them spent longer than normal on breakfast, enjoying the feeling of being full for the first time in weeks. Emily stared into the fire into the fire pensively following the journey of the sparks as they travelled out of the flames and up toward the sky finally disappearing as they as the hit the cool air of the morning. She knew that they should be packing up and moving on. They were camped just outside a village where they could get some desperately needed supplies. They all knew that they needed to go into town, but it was hard to be motivated when they had been run out of so many already. Maybe they would get lucky this time and word wouldn't have travelled this far.

She sighed internally; time to rally the troops. "Alright, gang, to work." Her tone was forcedly cheerful.

"What's the plan then, Emsy?" Panda asked.

Emily paused for a moment as she mentally ran through the strategy she'd come up with early that morning as she scouted the village. "We split up. If word has spread this far, they're less likely to recognize us individually. Katie, you'll take the eastern and northern sections of town; Cook, the south and west. Thomas and Panda, you gather the supplies we need. I will take the center of the village. We meet at the edge of the western forest in two hours. Any questions?" She looked around making eye contact with each of them and receiving a nod in return. "Good. Let's hope our luck has changed."

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	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: It's kinda short, but so am I.**

"The town is bigger than I anticipated," Naomi said softly looking around. She tensed as more and more people flooded into the marketplace. "Maybe this is a mistake."

Effy grasped her arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We need supplies, Noams." She paused for a moment and tilted her head, looking blankly a the scene before her. Naomi's gaze sharpened and focused on Effy. She knew that look. It was the same look Effy always wore when she got a "feeling."

"What is it, Ef?" Naomi had learned by now to trust Effy's "feelings."

Effy shook her head slightly saying vaguely, "I don't know. Something. There's something else here that we need. I'm not sure yet what." She seemed to come back to the present. "Don't worry so much, Noams. We'll just be extra careful."

Naomi sighed. "Alright, let's get this over with."

She and Effy made their way through the stalls of the market, searching for particular products. They bought only what food they could not find in the forest - flour, grain, jerky, even a bottle of milk - before heading to the farthest section where weapons and the like were sold.

Naomi found the marketplace to be overwhelming. Everyone rushing about so quickly. Sellers calling out their products and bartering with customers. She longed for the woods and the peace she found there, but she knew that besides supplies the gossip they picked up in town was important. She caught Effy's eye and nodded at her. They separated and moved through the crowd, casually looking at stands.

It was something that they had perfected years earlier. Each of them would pretend to be buying while instead cataloging the conversations around them. Later they would relay the news to one another. It was the best way they had found to not only track potential dangers, but also targets.

Naomi looked carefully at some tomatoes while focusing on the words flying past her.

"…bandits in the north. They raided two small towns in The Borderlands. Took the children. Killed the adults. I reckon they need kids for the mines. They like the small ones for the passages."

Naomi's jaw tightened, but she kept moving. She noticed a large, dark-skinned man with a kind face across the way. He was showing an excited looking blonde girl some plants.

"Whizzer, Thommo! This is just what I needed." The girl beamed up at him causing him to flash white teeth back at her.

Naomi wasn't sure why, but they made her smile. She continued moving, making a perimeter around the marketplace. Eventually she found Effy staring at the front of a large stone building. Effy looked at her briefly before turning her attention back to the building.

"This is it." She said quietly. "Whatever we need is here." Effy opened the door and entered the building, clearly expecting Naomi to follow. Naomi rolled her eyes, but began to do just that. She tensed suddenly as the back of her neck began to tingle. She was being watched. She turned slightly and began scanning the streets around her, looking for anything that seemed off. Nothing stood out. It was just a normal day in a normal village, but Naomi just couldn't shake the feeling.

Naomi gave one last look around, before turning back to follow Effy. A flash of red caught her eye as it as it disappeared around a corner. It was visible for only an instant, but, for some reason, it made a spark run down her spine. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation; nonetheless it made her nervous. Naomi couldn't help feeling that something important had just happened. She just didn't know what.

She was still pondering the experience as she went in search of Effy. Naomi paused just inside the large doors of the stone building. It was strangely quiet, as if all the chaos of the world outside had yet to reach it, and there was a stillness to it that Naomi had never known, not even in the woods. She could see how this place would be a sanctuary for lost souls.

She glanced around as her eyes adjusted to the dark. There was no sign of Effy. A long hallway lined with torches opened off of the foyer. All the other options were dark and dusty so Naomi decided Effy must have gone that way. The sound of Naomi's footsteps echoed through the hall as she moved steadily through the building. She had yet to encounter anyone else and the quiet combined with her earlier experience was making her very nervous. She had no idea what might await her, but it wouldn't be the first time one of Effy's "feelings" had gotten them in trouble.

After several minutes of following the winding hall, Naomi heard voices.

"She'll be here soon." It was Effy. Naomi sighed in relief, registering that Effy sounded completely calm and in control.

"It is very important that I speak with her immediately." Naomi heard a young man's voice say. He sounded anxious and slightly agitated.

"Yes, why was that, again?" Effy asked in a tone that told Naomi that Effy know she was outside the door. Naomi moved to enter the room. "Father always tells me that it's best to get the whole story." Naomi froze. "Father" was their code word. Something was wrong.

The man - or maybe boy, Naomi thought - became more upset. "I cannot reveal my message to anyone but her. I promise you will come to no harm, but I must see her."

"If you don't plan on harming me, why are you holding me at sword point?" Good girl, Naomi cheered mentally as Effy continued to talk, giving Naomi the details she needed. "I hardly think you need that sword when I'm tied to a chair."

Naomi knocked an arrow silently. She crept forward keeping low so the boy wouldn't see her. As soon as she peeked into the room she began cataloging the layout. They were in a study or library of some sort. The walls were lined with books and several large wooden desks were placed throughout the room. Effy was seated at one of the tables with her hands tied to a chair. Even from across the room, Naomi could see that the knots would be no match for Effy. She must think staying put is the best option, Naomi mused.

Finally Naomi saw the man. He was young, perhaps a few years younger than them. He was pacing in front of a large fireplace holding a sword that was much too large for him. Occasionally he would stop and run his hand through curly hair. He looked absolutely wrecked. Naomi instantly knew why Effy stayed tied up. They were in no danger from this boy.

She waited until the boy was facing away from the door. Standing up and drawing her bow in one motion, she stepped into the room. "You seem to have gone to a lot of trouble to speak to me. May I ask why?"

The boy whirled around, almost falling over in the process. "I-I-I-" He stuttered. "Are you her?"

"Depends on who you're looking for." Naomi shrugged. "Why don't you tell me who you are and who exactly you think I am? Also, how about you put that sword down."

The boy's grip tightened on the hilt. "I have to know it's you first. They've already sent someone to kill me once. It's probable that there will be more. The likelihood of me prevailing again is slim so I need to be on my guard." He seemed to be getting more and more worked up. Naomi glanced at Effy who rolled her eyes and jerked her head down, motioning for Naomi to put the bow down.

Naomi sighed, but knew that Effy was right. "Alright. How about I put my bow down and you put your sword down and then we can talk this out. We can even leave my friend tied up, if you would be more comfortable."

"Bitch." Effy replied laconically.

The boy looked confused at first, but eventually did as she asked. Naomi sat down at the table across from Effy, motioning for the boy to do the same. "Why don't we start with something easy?" She asked, gentling her tone. "What's your name?"

"I am Jonah Jeremiah Jones…JJ. I am a scholar here at the monastary." Naomi looked around again, realizing why there were so many books. They were ancient texts.

"Alright, JJ. Next question, who is it that you think I am?"

JJ looked surprised. "You're The Bolt of Justice."

Naomi's eyebrows shot up and she looked over at Effy as she burst out laughing. Effy smirked at her. JJ looked back and forth between them. Naomi tried to calm down. "I'm sorry," she said, trying not to start laughing again. "What did you call me?"

"The Bolt of Justice. It's what all the villages are calling you." JJ paused. "You are the one who has been attacking slavers and freeing the captured people, right?"

Naomi sobered instantly. There was no way that he could know that. Her jaw hardened slightly. "And why would you think that?"

JJ looked baffled. "I've been tracking you for over a year. I developed a complete profile and a detailed description based on witness accounts. I even developed a description and profile for your companion. That's how I knew it was you. I've had the villagers on the lookout for a blonde woman who travels with a Gifted One."

He was getting increasingly excited and had failed to notice that Effy was no longer tied up. "When one of the shop owners told me that she had seen you in the village, I knew the time had come. It's funny really because I was going to set out tomorrow to find you in the woods."

He began to rummage through the pockets of his robes. Naomi continued to hold his attention as Effy snuck up from behind, one of her knives in her hand. JJ continued as he pulled out a piece of paper. "A week ago a man appeared in the village. He said that he had important information for The Bolt. His camp had been attacked and one of the camp leaders sent him with a letter. I have it here!" Effy was almost in striking range. "It's a letter to N from Pike."

Effy stopped instantly. Pike was one of their contacts in The Underground. Naomi reached for the letter, snatching it out of JJ's hand. She paused. "JJ, if you know all of this, then you must also know what would happen if the slavers got wind of any of this."

JJ nodded solemnly. "No one knows what I have been studying. The villagers don't know who you are. It won't leave this room."

Naomi saw the sincerity in his eyes and nodded back. She glanced at Effy who shrugged and sheathed her dagger with a click. JJ started as he suddenly realized that she was there. He looked panicked for a moment. "If we are safe with you, then you are safe as well." Naomi said quietly causing him to relax. She began to read Pike's letter.

The letter was simply the usual report of life on The Borderlands, but at the end there was a handwritten note. Naomi read it twice and then once more just to be sure.

"Well?" Effy said.

"It's mostly the same as usual, although the rumors of The Chosen are increasing." Naomi looked at the letter again. "He also said that he's found someone who escaped from a Razor camp. He thinks he knows where they live."

Effy's face remained impassive as she processed that. "Sounds like we've got our work cut out for us."

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	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay...my sister got married and much of my time got focused on the wedding. I'm still working without a beta so I apologize for any errors on my part. Hope you're enjoying the story!**

**Special thanks to Marsupial1974 for consistently reviewing and keeping me going!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Skins, Keffy would have been canon.**

"Absolutely not!" Naomi looked at Effy incredulously. "Have you gone mental?" They were back in the large study after staying the night at the monastery.

Effy sighed. "We need him, Noams."

Naomi glanced at where JJ was hovering. How could Effy possibly think bringing this bookworm with them was a good idea? He could barely manage to hold a conversation with them. There was no way he could manage a fight. She looked back at Effy.

"For what, Eff? He's already told us everything he knows about Pike's message. He'll only slow us down and more than likely get himself killed." JJ began to protest, but shrank back when she turned on him. "No! You are an academic and I am sure that is valuable to someone, but I will not travel with someone who will put us in danger through his incompetence. I cannot have anyone else's blood on my conscience!"

Naomi calmed slightly when she felt Effy's hand on her arm. "He told us everything about Pike, but he has other knowledge." Effy had stayed up much of the night talking to JJ and seemed to have become his champion. She looked at him now. "Jay, tell her about your research."

JJ cleared his throat awkwardly and shifted from foot to foot. "I have been compiling stories from towns and villages regarding slave raids. I have come to a working theory that the slavers are controlling the Razors somehow. Furthermore, the slavers are somehow connected to The Chosen. Over the past ten years, more than one hundred towns have been decimated. In every instance rumors of The Chosen increased in the weeks prior to the raid. I have created a geographic representation of the raids and the sightings of The Chosen."

Naomi's head shot up. "I wasn't aware that there had been actual sightings of The Chosen." She questioned.

"Oh yes!" JJ answered excitedly. "Several of the people I interviewed made actual contact with people calling themselves The Chosen, but in the aftermath of the raid, it was mostly forgotten."

"This is all very interesting, but I don't see how it helps us." Naomi interjected stubbornly.

Effy rolled her eyes and answered succinctly, "He knows how to track the Razors and the slave camps." Naomi appeared to be considering it. "As for him being at risk, he can take care of himself."

Naomi snorted in derision. "I've seen him handle a sword."

JJ blushed, "I may be rubbish with a sword, but I have learned to defend myself."

"You'd better show her," Effy said, handing him six of her knives.

JJ took the offered weapons. "Naomi, if you would pick a target." He said politely. She pointed out a small knot in the wood paneling across the room. JJ nodded slightly and, without any hesitation, sent three of the knives flying across the room. Each knife imbedded itself in the paneling no more than a centimeter from the knot. Naomi's brows rose in surprise.

"If you please," JJ continued. "Shoot an arrow at me."

"Uh, what?"

"Just shoot an arrow at me."

Naomi looked at Effy who nodded back silently. She took an arrow from her quiver and aimed for JJ's heart. She released the string smoothly and watched the arrow race across the room toward the boy. In a swift movement, JJ sent another knife flying. His knife met the arrow halfway and sent it spinning and crashing to the ground. JJ shifted the remaining two knives in his hands. "I could retaliate, but I think that should be saved for an actual hostile environment."

Naomi looked at Effy in shock. She hadn't expected that. Effy smirked slightly making Naomi roll her eyes. "Alright, he can come with us." Naomi nodded brusquely at a beaming JJ. "Be ready to leave in an hour."

—

Emily felt the trickle of sweat run down her back as she moved to duck the fist headed toward her. She was a tad too late and grunted as the punch made contact with her shoulder adding another bruise to her growing collection. She strained to recover her balance as she stumbled backward, but only managed to overcompensate as she reversed her momentum causing her to lurch forward. Directly into the path of the oncoming sword. Her mind went blank for a moment and then supplied with chilling clarity one thought: I'm going to die.

At the last moment, the blade reversed directions and was released, dropping heavily to the ground. Emily collapsed next to it, panting in relief.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU WERE PLAYING AT?" Katie's voice ripped through Emily's haze. "Cook could have killed you!"

Emily looked up to see all 5 feet, 1 inch of her sister looming over her. She knew Katie had a right to be upset. She had never really liked the idea of Emily and Cook's sparring matches, but she couldn't argue with the results. Since they had begun the practice three years ago, their skills in a fight were unparalleled. "I lost my focus is all." Emily said mildly.

"Don't give me that, Emily. Look." Emily followed the line of Katie's hand to where she was pointing. Cook had fallen to his knees and had his head buried in his hands. She crawled to him quickly.

"It's okay, Cookie. Everything's okay." Her voice was soft and soothing as though she was trying to calm a frightened animal.

"I could have killed you, Emilio man. That blade would have ripped right through you." Cook looked more shaken than she had ever seen him.

Emily felt guilt flood her. Cook may act tough, but she knew that nothing scared him more than the possibility of losing someone he loved. He had lost his little brother years ago when his village was raided. His mother had never recovered from the loss and had killed herself leaving Cook on his own at just 14. He had survived by taking to the woods and only venturing out at night to steal food. He was well on his way to being caught and killed by townspeople before he found Emily and Katie and the three of them had made a new family together. Just a year later they had stumbled across an abandoned village and found Panda living there on her own. There was no hesitation from anyone when Emily suggested that she come with them. Now they had Thomas as well. They were a ragtag group to be sure, but Emily knew that they would die for each other.

"I'm sorry, Cook. I'm so sorry." She touched his shoulder lightly, gasping a little when he hauled her onto his lap and wrapped her in a hug. She wound her arms around his torso and hugged him back, continuing to apologize in a soft voice. There was nothing romantic or sexual to the embrace; it was just the need for physical contact. They sat that way for another minute before Cook finally released Emily.

They rose slowly, stretching as they went. Cook looked at Emily critically. "We better get you cleaned up. I messed up that face of yours something good." Emily grinned at him, wincing when she felt her lip split back open. She glanced to the campfire where Katie was sitting chatting with Thomas and Panda. Katie had left to give her and Cook some space and the distance seemed to have cooled her temper.

"Kay, we're going for a swim." Emily called to her sister. Katie waved distractedly before turning back to her conversation. "C'mon then, Cookie. Let's go get wet."

Cook shot her a filthy grin. "They all come to the Cookie Monster in the end!" He crowed.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I'd sooner shag a Razor, you twat."

Cook threw his head back laughing. "Can't blame a bloke for trying."

They hiked the short distance to the small river that they had passed earlier that day and hurriedly stripped down to bathe. Emily could tell that Cook wanted to ask something, but seemed to be waiting for the right moment. She smiled slightly thinking about how much he'd grown; time was that he would have just blurted out anything on his mind before he thought about it. She waded into the water, hissing at the cold, and set about cleaning herself up. She could feel her muscles stiffening from the beating she'd taken and she mentally kicked herself for letting herself get so distracted during the sparring match.

"Listen, mate," Cook said from where he was lounging against the bank of the river. "I'm not taking the piss here, but what the Hell happened to you back there? You never lose a fight." He paused slightly, looking at Emily quizzically. "Now that I think of it, you've been off ever since we left that town."

Emily sighed and shook her head slightly. "I can't explain it, Cook. I just…" She stopped and took a deep breath. "There was this girl there-"

Cook let out a howl. "Emilio got a shag!" He leapt into the water and grabbed Emily into a massive bear hug.

Emily gave him a shove. "Get off me, you wanker. I just saw her. She was standing at the door of this old stone building and…I don't know, mate…I couldn't take my eyes off her."

"And?" Cook pressed.

"And nothing." Emily shook her head and sighed. "I didn't wanted her to see me staring at her so I left." Cook stared at her with his mouth open. "What?" She said defensively. "This wasn't some random that I could shag and leave behind. She was special somehow. The moment I saw her my heart just stopped and then raced. I couldn't breathe. I've never felt that before." Emily ran her hand through her hair frustratedly. "Ever since then, though, I haven't been able to stop thinking about her. All I can see is blonde hair and big blue eyes and-" She stopped suddenly realizing that she was standing naked in a river…next to Cook. "-you know, other assets," she finished lamely.

Cook laughed at her expression. "So what are you gonna do, Little Red? You can't keep letting me kick your arse." He asked, grinning at her.

"I'll never see that girl again so I reckon I'll find a willing little thing in the next town and work off some…frustrations." She grinned back. "How was your trip through town?" She asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows and a sense of relief at the change of subject.

Cook's eyes took on a faraway look and a dirty twinkle as he grinned even wider.

"Based on that look, I'd say it was goer, eh?" Emily laughed.

"Emilio man, the girl at the fruit stand…mmm. She took old Cookie for quite the ride. And let's just say that she wasn't lying about having top melons." Cook turned a filthy smile on her. "The things that girl did to me. She did this thing with her tongue-"

"Alright!" Emily interrupted, laughing. "That is way more than I needed to know." She splashed him in the face, shrieking when he tackled her into the water.

They spent the afternoon horsing around at the river, only heading back to camp when the sun began to set. As they hiked along the banks, Emily noticed tracks.

"Cook," she said almost reverently. "Deer." She pointed to the tracks.

Cook's eyes lit up as he saw the marks in the damp ground. He glanced back at Emily. "How do you want to play it, Red?"

"You circle around. I'll take to the trees. We'll flush it out by the clearing up ahead." Emily motioned with her bow.

Cook nodded briefly before slipping silently into the trees. Emily looked around briefly at the different trees. Seeing her target, she ran lightly toward it, launching herself onto a low branch. She wasted no time in climbing higher to get a better view. She leapt from branch to branch following the tracks. Finally she came to rest not far from the clearing she had mentioned.

She could see the doe grazing at the edge of the meadow. It was a simple shot. She scanned the brush, looking for Cook. She smiled as she found him. He was mostly hidden in the bushes, but seemed ready for action. She aimed and, with a deep breath, released her shot. Her smile faltered as the doe spooked slightly, then went down. That wasn't her arrow. She looked around for the source of the shot, but all was still.

_Where's Cook? _She wondered, snapping her head back to his hiding place. She blinked in shock as she saw the crouched figure aiming a bow at her. "_What the hell?" _was all she had time to think before the arrow slammed into her and she went hurtling toward the ground.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has followed and reviewed! I really appreciate the feedback and encouragement.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Skins, there would have been hot Keffy sex in Series 4.**

Naomi gritted her teeth as she heard JJ stumble again. Her fist clenched tighter around her bow and she considered briefly just shooting him and putting him out of her misery. For the life of her she could not understand how adding one person could slow them down so much. She glanced at the sky. It would be dusk within the hour and they had barely traveled 25 kilometers. She could feel her shoulders knotting as she thought of how long it would take them to go the whole way.

A light touch on her arm caused her to glance sideways to where Effy had materialized. "He's doing his best, Naomi. He'll get better. Faster." Effy's blue gaze met Naomi's own. Naomi was surprised to the see the slightly pleading look in Effy's eyes. She had really taken a liking to the boy.

"I don't get it, Effy." Naomi said frustratedly. "You know that he's slowing us down. You know he's a liability. Why are you insisting on this?"

Effy was silent. Naomi waited knowing her best friend needed time to think through her response. Finally, she spoke, in a soft voice, "He's innocent. He reminds me of my best friend when I was little and it's been a long time since I felt that kind of sweetness in a person."

Naomi's gaze sharpened. It wasn't often that Effy spoke of her life before they met and the things she had shared painted a picture of a childhood as a target, a childhood filled with fear. As she spoke of this friend though, there was a dreamy quality to Effy's voice and Naomi felt a tiny stab of jealousy that there was someone so important in Effy's life before her.

Effy continued, "It calms the noise when he's around, just like she used to." Her eyes came back into focus as they locked on Naomi's, silently asking Naomi to try.

Naomi sighed, "Alright, Eff. I get it. I'll go easy on him." She winced as she heard a crash, followed by the call of "I'm okay."

Effy smirked at her. "Why don't you go find us something to eat. We'll set up camp."

Naomi knew they should keep moving, but she saw Effy's logic. With some meat in their bellies and a full night of rest, they could set out in the morning renewed and ready for the day. She hesitated for a moment, but, hearing another crash from the brush, decided getting away was a good idea. She stacked her supplies where Effy and JJ could access them and, taking her bow, set out to find game.

It wasn't long before Naomi spotted tracks. Deer, she thought excitedly. The marks in the earth were deep, but not particularly fresh and Naomi bent to take a closer look. She crouched low peering at the damp ground. There must be a water source near by for the dirt to be so moist and, where there was water, there was game.

She moved swiftly and silently through the forest always keeping the tracks in sight. She noted the tracks beginning to overlap with other sets and realized that she was on a game trail. All she needed to do, she surmised, was find the grazing area and wait. The deer would return soon enough.

It had been almost an hour by the time she found the clearing, but she knew that bringing back venison would be worth it. She scoped out the area, finding a nice copse of young trees. A thick layer of brush had accumulated around the trees and Naomi was able to settle in between the trees, camouflaging herself with the forest debris. She leaned slightly against a tree trunk, giving her legs a break. She didn't know how long she'd have to wait and she needed her muscles fresh to take the shot.

As it turned out, she didn't have to wait long. A young doe entered the clearing, her ears perked for anything that signaled danger. Naomi slowed her breathing, willing herself not to make a sound. The doe seemed satisfied and dropped her head, beginning to graze. Naomi straightened silently, going through the motions to fell the deer. She watched her arrow arc through the air just as movement from her left caught her eye. She whirled to see a hooded man draw a bow and shoot. Her muscles tensed for the impact even as she realized that he wasn't aiming for her. She glanced around frantically looking for his target. Following the trajectory of the arrow, she moved her gaze up and saw it. That same flash of red that had been haunting her since the village. Someone was in the trees. Her someone.

Terror shot through her at the idea of this person getting hurt and, when she heard a cry of pain and the sound of a body falling, she felt her heart stop briefly. Ignoring the hooded man, she ran toward the sounds; her only thought of the person headed toward the ground. She spared him a glance when his knife flew past her, grazing her arm, but only half registered seeing him collapse to the ground, the hilt of a dagger protruding from his throat. _Effy_, Naomi thought briefly, recognizing the blade. _Effy's here._ Her sense a relief was short-lived though as she heard the thud of a body hitting the ground.

Naomi raced to the figure crumpled on the ground. It was a girl. A tiny girl with hair the color of flames. Naomi felt her heart constrict at the sight of the blood beneath her. "Be alive. Be alive." Naomi chanted almost silently. She didn't understand the connection she felt to this girl, but she didn't stop to analyze it. Naomi dropped to her knees beside the girl, feeling for a pulse. She let out a breath when she felt it, steady against her fingertips. She began to run her hands gently over the girl's limbs feeling for broken bones. A quick examination told her that, other than a slight fracture in her left arm, the girl was mostly unhurt from the fall. The arrow protruding from her shoulder was another matter altogether.

Naomi assessed the situation. It was a long arrow and had buried itself deep in the shoulder. Naomi could see that it had missed the joint and was embedded in muscle and tissue. She could also see from the entrance that it was a barbed arrowhead which meant that pulling the arrow out would create even more damage. The thought of the arrow ripping through this girl made Naomi's stomach clench and roll, but she knew that she had to act. Taking a deep breath, she snapped off the end of the arrow leaving just the smooth wooden shaft. The little redhead let out a pained groan as the movement caused the wound to bleed faster. Naomi made small soothing noises, stopping for a moment to stroke the girl's cheek. Unfocused brown eyes opened to stare at Naomi causing her fingers to freeze as she brushed red locks of the girl's forehead. The girl smiled vaguely before slipping once more into unconsciousness.

Naomi shook off her stupor. "Focus." She spoke softly to herself. "Get the arrow out." She reached for the shaft of the arrow.

"Stop!" A loud voice rang out from behind Naomi. "Get away from her now or I will put this arrow through your head." Naomi could hear the sound of a bowstring being pulled taut. A fierce and primal rage welled up in Naomi at the thought of someone trying to keep her from this girl. She turned toward the voice, her face so full of violence that the other girl actually took a step back. Right into the waiting arms of Effy.

"I'm going to need you to drop the bow," Effy said calmly even as her knife pressed against the girl's throat. "Your sister will come to no harm from us." Naomi's eyes shot to Effy. _Sister?_ She took a better look at the other girl. Although the other girl was a brunette, she did resemble Naomi's redhead. Effy continued to murmur softly in the girl's ear, too quietly for Naomi to hear her words, but she recognized the tone from when Effy would calm her after her nightmares. Naomi wondered at Effy's gentle treatment of this girl who minutes earlier had threatened to kill her. She snapped back into focus as Effy addressed her firmly, "Naomi! You need to take the arrow out. The longer it's in there the more likely it will get infected."

Naomi turned her attention back to the arrow wound. "How do I know she won't hurt Emily?" Naomi heard the other girl say, straining against Effy's grip. _Emily. Her name is Emily._ Naomi paid no attention to Effy's response as she gazed at Emily, but she surmised it must have satisfied the other girl because she stopped struggling. Naomi lifted Emily so that her uninjured side was resting on Naomi's leg. "I'm so sorry, Emily," She said in a choked voice. "This is going to hurt, but it will make it better." In one motion, she pushed the shaft down causing the arrowhead to exit from Emily's back. She tried to ignore the groans coming from Emily's semi-conscious form and the strangled sobs coming from her sister in the background.

Rolling Emily over slightly, Naomi gripped the arrowhead firmly and swiftly pulled the arrow clean from Emily's body. She ripped off a piece of her shirt and bound the wound. "Effy," she called. "We need to get her to camp. We need to clean the wound." She scooped Emily into her arms and stood, finally turning fully to assess the situation.

Effy stood with her arms around the small brunette, no longer seeming to guard, but rather to comfort. Naomi briefly considered the strangeness of that, but decided to ask Effy about it later. She glanced at where the hooded man had fallen and noted JJ standing there. He held a bow at the ready and his attention was focused on a man standing in the shadows of the forest. The man held a dagger in his hand but dropped it as Naomi turned toward him. He stepped into the clearing with a look of awe on his face. "Blondie?" His voice cracked slightly with emotion.

Naomi blinked in surprise. "Cook? I thought you were dead." She tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Same here, babes. When you and Freds didn't come back, I assumed…" He trailed off as tears sprung into his eyes.

Naomi began to say more, but her focus was brought back as Emily stirred in her arms. "We need to get her to camp." She said urgently, more to herself than anyone else.

"We'll go to ours," Cook said firmly. "We have a healer."

Their camp was no great distance away, but, by the time they arrived, Naomi's arms had begun to burn with strain of carrying Emily. Even so, Naomi practically growled at Cook when he moved to take her. It took Effy's light touch on her shoulder and soothing words in her ear to get her to see reason.

"She needs to see the healer, Noams…as do you." Effy glanced down at Naomi's arm causing her to do the same. She blinked in surprise at the bloody gash on her bicep. She had forgotten about that. Effy continued, "You can go with her, but, if you don't put her down, you're going to drop her." Naomi finally relented at the reminder that she may hurt Emily further if her strength gave out. She delicately handed Emily's limp body to Cook, shuddering slightly at the emptiness that hit her.

She met Cook's eye almost desperately. She didn't understand what was happening, but something raw clawed at her insides. She was terrified at the thought of losing this girl she had yet to actually know. Cook saw it all in that moment as Naomi's naked emotions paraded across her face. The fear. The awe. The confusion. Somehow he understood. "Let's go take care of our girl," He said quietly, nodding at Naomi.

**So...what do y'all think? Bad...good...painfully boring? Let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I didn't get to write as much of my Thanksgiving break as I had hoped...y'know, family, homework, heavy drinking...the usual. No matter. Here is another chapter for all you lovely people.**

**Thanks for the continued reviews and follows. It's like a little ray of sunshine to see those notices come in.**

**Disclaimer: Skins isn't mine, but I can still love it from afar.**

A feeling of numbness swept over Katie as she watched Cook carry Emily toward the tent to see Panda. _She had to be okay. She just had to._ Although she was only six minutes older, Katie had always felt a certain pride in her ability to take care of Emily. Secretly she knew that Emily had no need to be taken care of, but she appreciated that Emily let her pretend anyway. Now as she thought of how tiny and fragile Emily had looked lying on the forest floor, the numbness lifted and her heart clenched in terror.

She relaxed slightly as she felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulders. "What has happened, Katie?" Thomas' deep voice asked gently.

Katie's eyes welled with tears. "It's Emily. She's been shot." The tears began to fall in earnest as she told him what she knew. Thomas pulled her into his arms, murmuring comforts in French. When he felt her crying subside, he pulled back gently, "Panda will make her well. You must be strong for her, yes?" Katie gave him a watery smile. "Besides," he added, "we must know more about this man who attacked our Emily."

He was right, Katie thought. They needed more information. Taking a deep breath, Katie steeled her nerves, turning to address the mysterious girl from the woods. She found her staring from across the fire and, as their eyes connected, Katie felt her breath hitch at the intensity of the blue gaze. Something about it made her feel vulnerable and exposed, like this girl knew everything about her. All her instincts told her that this girl was incredibly dangerous and a part of her wanted to run from this girl as fast as possible. Katie's jaw tightened at the thought. _Katie Finch never backs down! _She told herself, steeling her courage and making her way toward the brunette.

The other girl stayed rooted where she was, making no indication that she felt anything about Katie coming toward her. Her blue eyes remained locked on Katie's, seeming to bore right into Katie's thoughts. _She's a cool one_, Katie thought with begrudging admiration. Katie blinked as she found herself in front of the girl much quicker than she liked. She steeled her nerves, preparing to demand some answers. Before she could say anything though, the girl broke the silence.

"I'm sorry about having to threaten you." The girl said almost hesitantly. _She sounds nervous_, Katie thought, surprised. Somehow she knew that this girl was not nervous very often.

The girl continued. "I needed to protect Naomi. I didn't want anyone to get hurt." Her eyes had a slightly pleading look to them as though she was willing Katie to believe her.

Katie shivered as the girl's smoky voice washed over her. She vividly remembered the events in the clearing; the girl's warm breath on her ear, her voice murmuring soothing words. She found herself replaying it all in her mind.

_Katie paced around the campsite. They were late. She had expected Cook and Emily back before dark, but the sun was setting quickly and there was no sign of them. She was worried of course, but, being her, was channeling it into anger._

_"Blimey, Katie, you really should calm down. They'll be back soon." Panda called in a cheerful voice from where she was grinding up plants for one of her salves._

_"Why are they so late? They know we would expect them back by sundown." Katie's tone was exasperated._

_"Do you think something has happened?" Thomas asked gently._

_Panda laughed. "If anything happened to Emsy, Katiekins would sense it. They have a magical twin connection."_

_Katie rolled her eyes as Thomas looked at her curiously. "This is true, Katie?"_

_"Not exactly." Katie paused, trying to think of the right words. "I can sort of sense her. Not all the time, just if she's scared or angry or-" She went still suddenly as a chill went down her spine. "-In trouble. Something's wrong." The certainty in her voice left no room for doubt and Thomas and Panda didn't hesitate when she began barking orders. "Panda stay here in case they come back. Thomas take the Eastern trail to the river; I'll take the Southern."_

_Thomas nodded once before taking off at a run. Katie grabbed her bow and quiver. "Keep the fire going, Panda. Send up a flare if they get back here before us." With that she took off down the path. She didn't know exactly where to go - Emily had always been a better tracker - but she trusted her instincts, reacting without a second thought when she felt the need to go off the trail. She left the path heading deeper into the woods. The feeling in her gut was getting stronger and she knew that she was on the right track. She heard a dull thud up ahead and the sound of running. Stringing an arrow on the move, she burst through the trees into a clearing. She glanced around quickly, her stomach dropping as she caught sight of Emily lying motionless on the forest floor, an arrow protruding from her shoulder. A pool of blood was forming underneath her and Katie's knees went weak as she saw how pale and fragile she looked. A blonde girl was leaning over her and moved to grip the arrow._

_White hot anger filled Katie as she saw the discarded bow on the ground where the blonde girl had dropped them. She must have been the one who shot Emily, Katie concluded in her rage._

_"Stop!" Katie yelled, desperate to save her sister from further danger. "Get away from her now or I will put this arrow through your head." _

_The girl turned on her fiercely. Katie was so taken aback at the raw anger and pain in the girl's eyes that she actually fell back a step, tensing as her back made contact with something warm and strong. Another girl had snuck up behind her and was now pressing a knife to her throat. The girl was thin, but deceptively strong and her arms remained viselike around Katie as she fought against her._

_"I'm going to need you to drop the bow," The girl's voice was like a fog washing over Katie and causing goosebumps to form along her arms. "Your sister will come to no harm from us." Katie continued to struggle causing the girl's arms to flex to remain in control. Her voice lowered, becoming soothing, "Please. I don't want to hurt you. Naomi is trying to help her. Please stay still and trust me." Something in her tone made Katie want to believe her. She stilled momentarily. "Naomi!" The girl called to her friend. "You need to take the arrow out. The longer it's in there the more likely it will get infected." _

_"How do I know she won't hurt Emily?" Katie asked urgently, pushing forward in the girl's arms. She felt the cold steel of the knife blade against her throat and was surprised not to feel the sting of it cutting into her. She moved her head again experimentally. Still no pain. She's holding the back of the blade against me, Katie realized suddenly. _

_"I didn't want you to hurt yourself accidentally," the girl murmured, as though she read her thoughts. Katie felt her shift as she sheathed her knife. "I know you don't believe me, but look at them. Really look." Katie focused back on the blonde. She was tending to Emily with a look on her face as though she had never seen anything more precious. "Naomi didn't hurt your sister. She doesn't even use the same arrows." Katie glanced sharply at the quiver lying on the ground. The other girl was right. Those arrows had dark brown feathering while the arrow in Emily had red. Katie relaxed slightly. _

_The girl's arms gentled until they were merely resting on Katie's own and Katie was perplexed to realize that she missed the more solid contact. Soon enough the girl's grip tightened again, this time consoling her in her sobs as Emily's pained groans echoed through the clearing. _

_She lost focus at that point, a haze seeming to settle over her, dulling her senses and making her lose sense of time. She vaguely remembered overhearing Cook and Naomi talk as though they knew each other and the mysterious brunette girl helping to guide her along the path._

Katie shook herself back to reality. "I believe you," she breathed, meeting that unsettling blue gaze. She watched as those eyes filled with warmth at her words and felt an answering heat building within her. _What was it about this girl?_ She wondered, slightly confused by her reaction.

"Hello, my name is Thomas. It is nice to meet you." Katie jumped a little as Thomas spoke up. She had forgotten he was there.

The girl turned to look at him, nodding slightly. "Effy." A curly-haired boy appeared beside her. "And this is JJ. JJ, this is Thomas and -" Effy looked at her expectantly.

"Katie." She managed to croak out. "Katie Fitch"

"Katie." Effy repeated softly.

Thomas cleared his throat, watching the girls as they stood not breaking eye contact. "We must see about this man who shot our Emily. He is dead, yes?"

Effy nodded without looking away from Katie.

"Yes, well JJ, could you take me to the body?" Thomas asked with a little smile. "I would like to examine it."

JJ agreed quickly, looking a bit nervously between Katie and Effy. "That's an excellent idea. I'll take you there immediately."

Effy watched the boys leave and then turned to Katie with a smirk. "Now then, what shall we do until they get back?"

—

Naomi couldn't stop pacing. Ever since they had brought Emily into the shelter a bouncy blonde girl had been fussing over her. The girl - Panda she thought Cook had called her - had pushed Naomi aside saying that she needed room to check out the damage. Only Cook's hand on her shoulder had prevented Naomi from attacking the smaller girl. Now Cook was helping to hold Emily still while Panda applied a poultice. Naomi couldn't see Emily and it was making her crazy.

So she paced. She paced up and down the length of the tent, then she paced some more. At one point she stopped for a moment, but her mind began dwelling on her fear and confusion again so she resumed pacing immediately. Finally she wore herself out and, turning so that she could see the little group, she sunk heavily to the floor. She sat hugging her knees, the muscles in her arms flexing methodically as she strained to hear the sounds of Emily's breath.

She heard a soft humming and glanced at Cook realizing it was him. The torchlight played off his face and for one brief moment, Noami's mind focused. _He's alive. Cook's alive._ She watched as his face tightened in response to Emily's groan.

"Hold on, Red." Cook cooed softly. "This will all be over soon."

The memory hit Naomi suddenly.

_"Hold on, Blondie." Cook's voice drifted toward her. She could feel him pinning her down. "This will all be over soon." She tried to figure out what he meant. What will be over soon? She heard him speak sharply to someone else. "Hurry up, Freds. She's waking up."_

_She attempted to sit up. Then came the pain. It was white hot and ripped through her so fiercely that she cried out even in her delirium. She began to thrash around, desperate to escape._

_"Shh, love." It was Cook again. "It's okay. It's okay. I know it hurts, but it's going to feel better soon."_

_She didn't understand. Why did everything hurt so much? She tried to speak. "Hurts…what…why?"_

_She felt a cool hand stroking her brow and then her brother's voice. "Noams, you have to stay still."_

_"Just do it, Freds." Cook said urgently. "C'mon, Blondie. Stay with me. You fell out of a tree and your arm's pretty mangled. Freds' got to put it back in place. Just hold on, babes."_

_Freddie gripped her arm firmly and, with a sharp motion, twisted, thrusting her arm back into the socket. The pain lessened immediately and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her relief was only temporary as she took note of a pounding in her head. As her eyes came back into focus, she found Cook's grinning face staring at her. _

_"Now let's look at that head." He gripped her face lightly and turned it. "You've got a nice gash going here, Blondie. Gonna leave a scar, I reckon." _

_Naomi put her hand up behind her left ear and flinched when she encountered something sticky. She withdrew her fingers and looked at them, blanching slightly at the sight of her own blood. Cook continued to peer at the wound._

_"Yep," He said finally. "You're gonna need stitches." Opening his pack, he rummaged around, eventually finding a needle and thread._

_"Were you planning on darning some socks, Cook?" Freddie scoffed behind them._

_"You never know when you'll need stitches, Freds." Cook said with all the wisdom of his thirteen years before setting to work sewing Noami's skin back together._

Naomi snapped back to the present, finding herself absentmindedly tracing her fingers over the faded scar. She smiled slightly as she remembered the verbal lashing her mother have given Cook upon seeing his sloppy handiwork. She winced a little though recalling that Gina had turned her wrath on her when she found out Naomi had been leaping from tree to tree, attempting to follow the boys while they hunted.

"It's still there then?" Naomi looked up to find Cook peering at her scar.

She laughed shortly, climbing to her feet. "Of course it's still there. You wrecked it pretty good."

They stood grinning at each other for a moment before falling into a fierce hug. "I'm so sorry, Noams. I thought you were dead." She felt Cook say into her neck, his tears dampening her collar.

"I know." She said thickly as her own tears ran down her face. "Me too." Naomi pulled back a bit. "We have a lot to talk about, but…" She glanced to where Emily lay.

"You've got it bad." Cook grinned through the tears. "Your girl's gonna be fine after a little rest. You'll be shagging in no time." Naomi slapped the back of his head.

"Shut up, you twat. It's not like that. I don't even know her…I just feel - I don't know - connected to her somehow." Naomi gazed at the little redhead from across the shelter.

"Whatever you say, Naomikins." Cook held his hands up in surrender, eyes twinkling. "Whatever you say."

Naomi rolled her eyes at him. "Tell me what happened to you. I found the villagers in the woods after the attack, but your whole family was missing. No one knew where you were. I just figured-" She swallowed hard, guilt gnawing at her. "I should have searched for you."

Cook pulled her into another hug. "Stop beating yourself up. I did the same thing. When you and Freds didn't come back to the village, I assumed the worst." Cook paused. "What happened to Freds? Gina?"

"They took them, Cook." Naomi heard the hollow sound in her voice. "The attack…it wasn't just Razors. There were men. Slave traders. They had people from the village and they took Freddie and Mum." They were silent as Cook processed what she said.

"I always wondered. The attack felt too organized, too planned for Razors. They were after something or someone." Cook shook his head. "I could never figure it out."

"Cook, what about Paddy? Your mum?"

Cook's eyes filled with tears again as he thought of his brother. "Dead. Paddy tried to protect Mum from the Razors. They ripped him apart." Naomi closed her eyes in pain, both to hear of Paddy's death and at the dead quality of Cook's voice. "Mum…she just couldn't take it. When the villagers left, she refused. Wouldn't leave the house. Kept saying Paddy would come home and she had to be there." Naomi gripped Cook's shoulder tightly. "One day - maybe a month later - it was like she woke up and remembered. She just said, 'He's never coming back' and went back to bed. That night I found her. She'd slashed her wrists."

"Oh, Cook. I'm so sorry."

"I left after that. Started traveling. It was a hard life, scrounging about." His eyes brightened a bit. "After about a year though I met the twins, then Panda. Now we've got Thomas too. Got me a family again." Naomi smiled as Panda bounced over to give hug him from behind. "There's always room for more, Blondie." He added, his eyes full of hope and a bit vulnerable.

"That'd be whizzer!" Panda exclaimed. "New friends are great!"

Naomi recoiled from the idea of joining a group. Effy was all she needed. However, as her eyes drifted back to the sleeping form across the way, she found herself softening to the thought. "I'll think about it." She promised.

**Thoughts? Suggestions? Corrections? Knock-knock jokes?**


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, it's been too long since I posted...I offer you the standard excuses. Work, school, holidays, death in the family...all are true so take your pick. I also offer an apology because not only is this pretty late, but it doesn't offer any of the answers I promised. I really was going to answer some of those questions y'all have asked in your reviews, but I needed to give one more piece of the backstory first. I will have the next chapter - full of reveals - up for you post haste! Honest!

In the meantime, thanks for your continued support and enjoy.

-BMFL

P.S. no copyright infringement intended blah blah blah

* * *

Effy watched silently as the tiny girl across the fire paced around the camp. _Katie_.

Her name echoed through Effy's mind eliciting tiny shivers along her consciousness. Ever since Effy had spotted her in the clearing, Katie had been under her skin, making her feel, making her confused. Effy's eye shuttered closed as she remembered the way she'd felt with Katie in her arms - strong, and yet, vulnerable. It was unsettling, the effect this stranger had on her. She was used to being in control, always a step ahead, always able to see what was to come, but, in this moment, she was blind. It was terrifying. Her instincts told her that she and Naomi were tied these people somehow and, if that were the case, being in the dark was not an option. Effy sighed, her shoulders hunching forward. She knew what she needed to do; the ice cold certainty of it breathed down her neck. She feared it all the same. Her jaw clenched as she steeled herself for the task.

As a Gifted One, Effy had the ability to learn about a person - his life, his motivations, his secret desires, his future. Being able to see the events of one's future was a valuable asset to be sure, but to seek the path of another was a dangerous act, something Effy knew all too well.

She tried to shake off her fear; she had no other choice. Resolved to her choice, Effy took a deep breath and turned her mind inward. She found the familiar blue glow quickly and followed its path to her Gift. Once there, she grasped the light of her Gift, pulling and shaping it until it formed a glowing net.

She paused, running through the next steps in her mind. _Focus on your target's energy. Cast the net onto the target. Drag the net through the energy to gather the Enlightenment. _The steps seemed simple enough, but Effy knew that using her Gift never came without a cost. The net was formed out of a Gift and, if the mind of the Gifted One should wander - causing the net to be cast toward empty space - parts of the Gift could be lost. Effy had seen too many Gifted Ones lose pieces of their Gift - and, as a result, themselves - to treat it lightly. She knew the toll it took on the Gifted One. Even so, it was in receiving the Enlightenment that the real danger lay.

Effy could hear the voice of her mother as clearly as if she were standing next to her. "_The Enlightenment will look like a pile of cubes. Each cube is an event along the path of your target. The cubes will be unique to your target; each target's enlightenment will appear as a different color, different texture. You must pick up a cube and focus on it to read it. It will give you visions of the event. Do not mistake these visions as fact. The cube shows you only vague glimpses of the event; think of it as a riddle. Be warned though, Elizabeth. Do not become fixated on the cubes. It is easy to become so drawn into what you see that you lose yourself. Should that happen your path will become irrevocably entangled with that of your target. You would be lost, pulled into your target's consciousness leaving you an empty shell and your target's mind broken."_

Effy grasped her net firmly, taking every precaution in order to maintain her focus on the pathway between her and Katie. Their connected pathway shone unlike any she had seen before and she lost focus for a moment in surprise before quickly casting her curiosity aside, becoming intent on her net once again. She cast, watching it fly straight and true, catching on the great ball of orange light that was Katie's energy. Effy began to pull steadily, watching the net pull through Katie's light and come ever closer to her. Finally she grasped the edge, unfolding it to see its contents.

Effy started as she looked down. _Empty? How is that possible?_ She repeated the process. Again, empty. Once more she tried. Same result.

Continuing to grasp the net she shifted her focus, finding Naomi's energy easily. Throw, retrieve, reveal. Sure enough, the net was full. Effy looked through the contents quickly, not expecting anything unusual. _Wait! What is that? _She knew Naomi's Enlightenment as well as her own, but here in front of her was a new cube. Effy reached slowly for the cube. It was small - barely larger than her palm - but the sense of power it exuded was frightening. Effy stared at it, confused. Naomi's cubes were always a transparent silver and cool to the touch, their energy strong and solid, but this cube…this cube was strange, shifting from silver to black to gold in a never-ending cycle. It was as though the colors fought beneath the surface, each trying to dominate the other. As the colors pulsed, so too did the energy. Effy's fingers tingled where she held it and her skin alternately burned and froze. She stared more deeply into the cube, searching, hoping for some kind of clue. She could hear a voice in the distance telling her to come back, but she couldn't look away. She had to know…

A hand clamped down on her shoulder, squeezing hard. Effy jumped, startling herself away from the cube. Pulling herself out of her trance, she found herself staring into Katie's concerned gaze. She took a shaky breath as she realized how close she'd come to being lost. Katie's actions mirrored hers as she too finally breathed again.

"Whizzer, Eff, you're back. You were in well deep. You know you can't do that or you'll go bonkers."

Effy blinked. Maybe she _was_ going mad. She could have sworn that she heard Panda. She shook her head concentrating on Katie. Katie would keep her sane.

"Eff? Eff!"

Effy screwed her eyes shut. "You're not real. You're not real."

Katie's eyebrows knitted together and she glanced behind Effy with worried eyes. "Are you sure she'll be okay, Panda?"

Effy's eyes shot open and she whirled around. "Panda?" Her voice broke. She raked her eyes over the other girl, memorizing her face. She was older, but there was no mistaking it. Same messy blonde hair. Same cheerful blue eyes. Same sweet smile. "Panda." Effy breathed softly before stepping forward and wrapping herself around the shorter girl.

Naomi stood in shock as she watched her mysterious, independent, standoffish best friend embrace the bubbly blonde. She looked at Cook in confusion. He shrugged, looking just as surprised.

Katie cleared her throat. "So you two know each other, then?"

Panda laughed, "'Course we do, silly. We grew up together." She glanced around at the surprised expressions. "Don't you all know each other too? Cookie and Noami do."

Effy began to laugh, "God, I've missed you, Panda."

Panda beamed. "Me too, Eff!" Her smile faded slowly. "Where you been, Eff? I looked and looked for you after we were attacked."

Effy went still, like a deer sensing danger. "Then…you were there. You know what happened to the clan?" Her eyes bore into Panda's intently.

Panda's face scrunched in concentration. "I got knocked around a bit and don't remember everything. There was a group of men - maybe 20 of them…they killed everybody, Eff, even the little ones."

"Who were they, Panda?" Katie shivered at the ferocity and pain in Effy's eyes.

"They called themselves The Chosen."

Effy shot a look at Naomi whose eyebrows had shot to her hairline. "No one's seen The Chosen in almost 2000 years." Naomi scoffed. "They're a myth used to scare ignorant travelers." Even as she said it though, she knew it wasn't completely true. There were too many recent tales for them to be completely false.

"That is not entirely correct." Everyone swiveled around to see Thomas and JJ standing at the edge of the camp. They walked toward the group, Thomas carrying something heavy over his shoulder and JJ dragging something behind. Thomas gently laid his burden by the fire and unwrapped it to reveal the body of the man from the woods before continuing in his deep voice. "I think it is time we all told our stories, yes?"

The group looked around warily, as if recognizing that they were entering into uncharted territory. Finally, Naomi spoke up. "He's right. If we want to understand what's going on, we're going to have to share information. I think we're going to have to trust each other a bit here." She glanced at Cook who nodded back before turning to Katie.

"Katiekins, with Emilio down for the count you're sorta in charge. Whadya think?" Cook asked.

Katie looked pensive and a little unhappy to have to make the decision. She looked at the three newcomers, her eye lingering on Effy's face. Her mind flashed back to the clearing, remembering how Effy had protected her. She nodded sharply. "We should work together." She looked at the body at her feet. "Starting with learning more about him."

JJ spoke up, "I believe I can help identify him. I will need space to examine him and his things." Katie nodded in agreement.

Cook glared at the body briefly before turning to the litter of woven branches JJ had brought in behind him. He rubbed his hand together delightedly as he surveyed the large deer lying on the litter, "I reckon all this talking is going to take some time so how about we do it while we eat."

The camp was quiet as they all looked around at one another warily. Eventually, Katie sighed and took charge, "Cook, clean the deer. Thomas, you and JJ begin looking at the body. Panda, check in on Emsy and make sure she's alright." Effy grinned at her bossy tone. Katie rolled her eyes, watching Naomi's back as she immediately turned and followed Panda without a word. She turned to Effy, her eyes raking over her. "That puts us on firewood duty. Let's go."

* * *

What do you think? Am I losing you? *chews nervously on fingernails*


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay...I'm a total slacker and haven't updated in ages. I'm really sorry. Honestly, school kicked my ass this last quarter and so I kept telling myself that I would write on Spring Break...I went to Disneyland instead. *guilty look***

**Now I'm back and hoping to get some real writing done. This is another kinda short chapter, but it leads right into some real answers so I hope you can bear with me.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Skins, which seems wrong on so many levels.**

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Only the sounds of the forest and the occasional twig snapping permeated the silence surrounding Katie and Effy as they collected firewood. Effy could tell the other girl was troubled and, being a naturally reticent person herself, wondered if she should just leave Katie to her thoughts. _It's none of my business. _The trouble was she wanted to know. She wanted to soothe. Something about this girl made her want to fight every battle and stop anything from causing Katie pain. Effy was confused at the fervor of her reaction. Even Naomi - who was undoubtedly the person she loved most in the world - didn't make her feel like this.

She slid another quick glance to Katie, momentarily mesmerized by the way she was chewing on her bottom lip. Effy stumbled, bringing her focus back to the situation at hand. "Are you okay?" She blurted without thinking.

Katie jumped a little at the abrupt burst of sound. She turned to look Effy in the eyes. "Something's not right." Effy's brow furrowed. "Can't you sense it? There are too many things connecting. Cook knowing Naomi. You knowing Panda. This man who tried to kill Emily bringing us all together. Thomas and JJ play some role in this…only God know what." She was getting a little agitated and shifted her load of firewood so that she could run a hand through her hair in frustration. "There's something larger at play here and, for the life of me, I can't see what it is."

Effy looked at her for a moment before answering. "You may be right." She hesitated slightly. "How much do you know about The Divine Path?"

Katie looked confused. "Not a lot. I've heard the stories about how Gifted Ones can read the Paths of people to know their futures. I remember something about how The Divine Path is everyone's paths together. Is that right?"

Effy nodded. "Almost. The Divine Path is a thing of legend. It is true that the Gifted Ones can seek the path of another. It is very dangerous and should not be taken lightly. The Gifted One can get lost in the process." She paused, taking a deep breath thinking about her close call earlier. "The Enlightenment of a person it is unique to him or her. You will never see its match in The Enlightenment of another. However, legend tells of a time in which The Divine Path will come to be and many will bear The Enlightenment together. It speaks of an event so powerful and so necessary that it is woven into the destiny of multiple people." Effy looked seriously at Katie. "If you're right and we are being drawn into this group, perhaps The Divine Path is at work."

Katie frowned and Effy could practically see the wheels turning in her mind. "That's what you were doing when Panda stopped you." She said at last, her voice filled with certainty. "You're Gifted." Effy nodded, feeling slightly uneasy, but wanting Katie to continue. Katie scrunched her nose as she concentrated. "You were too far in. That's what Panda said. What would have happened to you if she hadn't pulled you out?"

Effy was a little surprised. Katie showed no signs of being afraid of her. Rather, she seemed interested - just like Naomi had been when they met. "If I had stayed in any longer, I would have lost myself. The subject of my search would have absorbed part of my spirit and it would have broken us both."

Katie looked like she had just thought of something. "Whose path were you seeking?"

"Naomi's," Effy said, hesitating slightly. "And yours."

"Mine? Why me?" Katie asked sharply. Effy stared at her unblinking for a moment. Katie sighed and nodded. "We're connected somehow, aren't we? I feel it too." She took a deep breath. "Alright then, what did you see on my path?"

"Nothing." Effy replied, the sense of dismay coming back strongly. "I couldn't find anything at all."

"How is that possible?"

"That I don't know, but I think we better head back and try to get some answers."

The girls returned to camp, dropping the bundles of firewood in a heap. The tantalizing smells of cooking meat greeted them and Cook waved briefly from where he was preparing the deer hide. "Supper's in 20," he called.

Katie nodded and moved to where JJ and Thomas stood together talking. Effy followed along, intrigued by Katie's shift into leader mode.

"Did you find out what you needed?" Katie asked, abruptly.

The boys broke off, turning toward her. "Yes, Katie." Thomas answered in his soft voice. "We will have much to talk about, I think."

"Assassin." JJ blurted out, turning bright red as everyone's eyes slid to him. "He was an assassin."

Katie looked like she was about to launch into a tirade of questions, but stopped when Effy touched her shoulder lightly. "We should wait until we're all together. Let's not have to go through this more than once."

Katie sighed, but agreed. "I'm going to check on Emily. We gather in 15 by the fire." Without another word she strode away and entered Panda's tent. Effy watched her go simultaneously relieved and sad to be away from her. She had never had anyone throw her so off balance before.

"She takes up much space for one so tiny, does she not?" Thomas asked, affection lacing his tone.

Effy felt the stirrings of jealousy ripple through her. She struggled to keep her voice neutral. "You and she are…?" She trailed off suddenly realizing that she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Thomas chuckled causing Effy's eyes to snap to his face. "We are friends. Nothing more." He said gently. "My heart belongs to a slightly crazy blonde."

Effy grinned. "Panda? Does she know?"

Thomas smiled softly. "I have not told her how I feel. I could not bear it if she did not feel the same."

Effy nodded sympathetically. She was starting to understand his thinking. She clasped his shoulder in an uncharacteristic show of intimacy. "Let's go see if Cook needs help."

—

Katie watched quietly as Panda bustled around the tent all the while babbling to Naomi about this and that. She doubted that Naomi was listening since she hadn't seemed to respond or even blink. She merely sat by Emily, watching her sleep.

Katie had long ago dealt with any issue she may have had about Emily's love of women. Looking back at it, she knew that her anger towards Emily had nothing to do with her kissing girls and everything to do with the way their mother had reacted to it.

_Jenna had been an old-fashioned sort, favoring mindsets and ideals that hadn't been popular in hundreds - if not thousands - of years. Even so, Katie adored her mother. While Emily was always closer to their father, Katie had been Jenna's everything. She spent most of her life trying to please Jenna while Emily spent hers being true to her own spirit. Katie couldn't begrudge her that, but she had never understood why Emily could just leave well enough alone. _

_Emily seemed to always know that girls liked her. By the time she was 12, most of the village girls - and several of the boys - had crushes on her. She had perfected her quiet, mysterious persona and it drove the girls crazy. For the most part it was all innocent fun, but when they were 13 Emily fell hard for a local girl. She and the girl spent every minute together and often snuck off alone, leaving Katie to cover for them. Katie knew that Jenna was getting suspicious but, as much as she loved her mother, she loved Emily more. And so she protected Emily, even as she worried that one day this would tear them apart._

_She was sick on the day it happened. She warned Emily that she was too tired to run interference, but Emily couldn't bear to be away from her girl and she decided to risk it. Jenna caught them in the barn where they were giggling and kissing, too absorbed in each other to notice her looming over them. _

_Katie awoke from a deep sleep, certain that Emily was in trouble. She rushed out of the house to find Emily cowering before Jenna. Katie looked in shock at the blood dripping from her split lip and the large welt on her cheek where their mother had obviously hit her. Jenna pulled her hand back for another blow and Katie's mind screamed at her to move. To protect Emily. Her legs felt like they were rooted to the ground and time seemed to slow as she watched her mothers hand move toward her terrified sister. Finally, she forced her body to move and she dove in front of Emily, readying herself to take Jenna's blow. The blow never came though and Katie collapsed it relief when she saw her father's large hand clamped around Jenna's wrist. Katie had never seen her father look so angry. She wrapped herself around Emily, murmuring softly as she glanced anxiously between her parents._

"_Do not EVER lay a hand on my children." Her father said in a chillingly calm voice._

_Jenna looked at him wild-eyed. "There is a devil in that girl. No child of mine would act in such a disgusting manner." Her voice became higher pitched. "I'll not tolerate her evil."_

_Katie felt Emily trembling in her arms. Her mind felt sluggish and unable to process her mother's words. _

_Rob stared at Jenna as though she had grown another head. "How can you speak about our daughter that way?" Jenna's face was a hardened mask of hatred. "You have a choice, Love," Rob continued. "You can accept our daughters for who they are or you can go."_

_Katie and Emily both looked sharply at Rob. Was he serious? In unison, they turned to Jenna. Surely she would never leave them._

"_I'll not taint my soul with their darkness." Jenna spat out._

_She was gone within the hour, leaving only anguish in her wake._

Katie frowned as she remembered the way she had treated Emily, blaming her for their mother leaving all the while knowing that it was, in fact, Jenna who was in the wrong. It had taken almost a year and the loss of their father for her to deal with her anger and resentment, but she and Emily had come out the stronger for it.

As she watched Naomi watching her sister and heard the murmur of her soft words, she smiled slightly. Emily deserved to be happy. Maybe Naomi was the person to make that happen.

"We're going to gather by the fire soon," She said softly, not wanting to startle Naomi. Naomi jumped anyway, quickly shifting her attention to Katie. She looked slightly nervous as she glanced between the twins.

"You probably want some time with Emily." Naomi stated, sounding a little glum about it. "I'll give you some privacy." She shifted a little, as though she didn't really want to leave.

Katie smirked a little. "It's okay. Ems is going to be fine. I can feel it. I'll see her when she wakes up." She turned to leave.

"Katie?" The anxiety in Naomi's voice stopped her. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

"The first thing you need to learn about Ems is that she does things in her own way at her own pace." Katie smiled sympathetically. "She'll wake up when she's ready."

"What if…" Naomi trailed off, shifting her feet awkwardly. Katie looked at her quietly, trying to decide what was worrying her so much.

"What if she doesn't wake up?" Katie said a little impatiently. She was eager to get everyone together and get some answers.

Naomi cleared her throat. "No. It's not that. It's just-" She sighed frustratedly, muttering, "This is so stupid."

"Just spit it out, Naomi." Katie said, rolling her eyes at Panda who had joined them.

"What if she doesn't like me?" Naomi blurted out, a flush creeping up her neck.

Katie burst out laughing. "Are you being serious right now?" She glanced at Panda who was laughing too, causing Naomi to scowl at them, her face turning redder by the moment.

Panda chimed in cheerfully, "Emily's gonna go gaga for you, Naomi." Naomi's face brightened a little though she still looked nervous.

"Truly." Katie added. "I think you two will get along just fine." She chuckled again. _I can't wait to see the look on Emily's face when she sees Naomi._ "Come on. Let's go have some supper."

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**What do you think? Keep the reviews coming because I'm a very needy person.**


	10. Chapter 10

I'm back...sorry for the delay, y'all. Sometimes life just gets the best of ya, you know? Anyway, I'll try to update more frequently. Thanks for sticking with me!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except a big attitude and a new pair of black Converse high tops.

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"This is bollocks!" The sudden outburst caused everyone to jump, shifting their gazes to Katie. She looked around at each of them, the agitation coming off of her in waves. "Don't you all want to get on with it?"

Dinner had been a subdued affair with only the sounds of the fire and Panda's constant stream of conversation to break the silence. Everyone ate quickly, anxious to move on to the conversation ahead, but as they finished up no one seemed to know what to do next.

At Katie's words though, Effy nodded and finally took charge.

"We all know that something strange is happening." She slowly looked around the group, her piercing blue eyes making contact with each of theirs before continuing in her smoky voice. "Each of us is connected in some way. It's time for us to find out how." Everyone nodded. "Let's start with our mysterious assassin. JJ, Thomas, what did you find out?"

Thomas motioned JJ to start. "Well," JJ began nervously, pulling a sheet of paper from his pocket, "we went through all of the man's belongings. Besides the bow, we found a quiver with 14 arrows - barbed like the one with which he shot Emily, - a set of 6 throwing knives, several meters of rope, enough food for 4 days-" He stumbled slightly as Katie sighed impatiently.

Thomas looked gently at Katie, "Patience, Katie. Please."

Katie looked slightly chagrined, "Sorry, JJ. Go on."

JJ swallowed quickly and nodded. "Perhaps most interestingly our assassin had this." He pulled out a leather-bound journal not unlike the one that Naomi kept. "We also found a mark - a brand of sorts - on the back of his left arm. It matches the mark imprinted on the journal." He briefly showed them the journal cover where a faded stamp appeared in the lower righthand corner. "The assassin seems to have been a member of something called The Order of The Crimson Blade. It is mentioned several times in the book." Cook was listening intently as JJ spoke, his brow furrowed as though he was trying to remember something that was just out of reach. "According to his journal," JJ continued more animatedly, "he was given over to The Order at a young age and has been training as a warrior and assassin ever since. The mark was branded on him at 15 when he completed his training and joined the order."

Cook moved over to crouch next to JJ, "Lemme see that mark." He peered closely for a moment before his eyes widened slightly.

"Do you recognize it, Cook?" Effy asked, seeing his expression.

"Yeah," He ground out. He rose quickly and spun around, his face a mask of fury. "I saw it just this morning." He spat as he rammed his fist into Thomas' face.

"What the Hell?!" Katie rushed to where Thomas had fallen. She glared up at Cook as Thomas rubbed his face with a grimace of pain. "What the Hell is wrong with you, Cook?"

Cook glared back just as fiercely as he looked around Naomi who was standing with her palms on his chest, trying to calm him down. Cook looked beseechingly at Naomi as he spoke, each word hitting like a jackhammer. "Thomas has the same brand. He's the same as the guy who shot Emilio."

Naomi's vision went hazy before turning red. She spun around to add her own injury only to find Effy holding her back. Effy said nothing as they struggled, just held her with a strength that belied her slight frame. "Get out of my way, Eff. I'm going to kill him."

Katie piped up from behind Effy. "He didn't shoot Emily...I'm sure there's an explanation." Her voice became less sure as she glanced to where Thomas sat.

Just then she sensed it. A slight shift, like a puzzle piece falling into place. She looked back to Naomi and found her standing frozen, her eyes wide and her muscles tense. _She felt it too_, Katie thought in amazement.

"Enough." The husky voice washed over them, leaving each with a different sensation in it's wake. Katie relaxed almost inperceptively as she heard the proof that Emily was alright and would be leading again. Cook stilled instantly, sighing with relief. JJ and Panda both calmed where they stood along the edges, anxiously watching the scene unfold. Even Effy seemed to be affected as she cocked her head to sight the tiny redhead behind Naomi. Naomi seemed to move not a muscle, but as Katie looked more carefully at where she stood in Effy's arms she realized that Effy was holding her up as though her legs couldn't support her.

Katie watched her sister walk toward them. She was clearly in pain, but moved with a strength and determination that seemed to outweigh it. Katie and Effy both tracked her as she stepped past Cook with a gentle squeeze on his arm. Naomi didn't turn, her face a mask of longing and fear mixed into one. Emily hesitated behind her, her fingers reaching out slightly before she quickly pulled them back and turned to Thomas who had not moved from his spot on the ground.

She knelt in from of him. "Thommo," Her voice was soft, its tone creeping in and filling the space like a gentle fog rolling in. "What's going on?"

Thomas' calm facade crumbled at her words and he looked at her with dark eyes gleaming with sadness and tears. "I have not been honest with you, Emily. My friends-" His voice broke as he looked around at the group. "My family. I have not told you all you should know. I thought I could protect you without you finding out." Tears streamed down his face in earnest now. "I have never betrayed you. I swear it! I just could not bear to see your eyes change when you look at me. I could not bear it if you hated me." Thomas let out a choked sob as Pandora enveloped him in a hug. He clung to her as she stroked his back and murmured soothing words.

Emily glanced back at Cook and Katie, carefully avoiding eye contact with Naomi. After a moment of silent conversation with them, she leaned forward, placing a cool palm on Thomas' cheek.

"Thommo, you are family. Family is forever." She wiped away his tears and kissed him gently on each cheek. "Each of us has done things that we regret. Things that haunt us at night. We force ourselves to be stronger because of them and we can't help but be stronger because of each other." Thomas looked at her, gratitude shining in his face. "I know this will be hard, but, when you are ready, we would hear your story." Thomas nodded to her. "In the meantime," she said, turning to the rest of the group, humor entering her voice. "perhaps someone could catch me up. I seem to have missed some things and..." Her voice trailed off as she locked eyes with the one person she had been trying not to address.

Effy glanced between the two of them, almost embarrassed by the intensity of the gaze. "I think Naomi can fill you in. We'll go get...a unicorn." Katie looked at her sharply, her brows raised. "They're not listening anyway." Effy shrugged. "Come on," she said to Katie and the boys. "We're not going to get anywhere until this happens."

The silence lengthened between the girls, neither seeming to know how to start, until finally Emily managed to speak.

"Hi." Emily gave herself a mental slap. _Hi? You're faced with the girl you've literally been dreaming about and all you can manage is hi? _

Naomiwatched the play of emotions across the face of the small girl in front of her. She felt herself relaxing as she realized that Emily was nervous. "Hi." She replied back with a shy smile. "How are you feeling?"

Emily shrugged, trying to play it cool, only to wince in pain as she moved her injured shoulder. She gave Naomi a sheepish grin, "I feel like I got shot." She cocked her head slightly. "I get the feeling I would be a lot worse off if not for you." Emily's nose wrinkled as she sifted through the memories and pictures that floated in the back of her mind. "You pushed the arrow out." She said with certainty as the scene came back to her.

"I'm sorry." Naomi blurted, "I know it must have been very painful. We were worried about infection and the arrow was barbed so I couldn't just pull it out. I tried to be care-" Naomi stopped abruptly as Emily stepped forward and grasped her wrist with cool fingers.

"Thank you," Emily said softly. "For that and for the journey back to camp." Naomi's cheeks burned as she realized that Emily remembered being carried by her. "I don't think I've ever felt as safe as I did in your arms." Emily's words filled Naomi with a warmth and joy she'd never known.

"You're welcome, Emily." Noami answered just as softly. She glanced down, unsurprised to find her fingers interlaced with Emily's. Everything about being with her felt right and pure. Naomi could swear that she felt the ground tremble, as if the Earth itself had been waiting for the moment they would meet.

"Oh!" She was pulled abruptly from her thoughts by Emily's exclamation. She glanced at Emily with concern. Emily's face seemed pale and Naomi detected a slight hitch in her breathing.

"What's wrong? Is it your shoulder? Your head? You should sit down." Naomi looked around anxiously for Pandora.

Emily squeezed her hand gently. "It's not that. I just realized that I don't even know your name."

Naomi sighed in relief, smiling at the other girl. "It's Naomi. Naomi Campbell."

Emily's smile lit her eyes so brightly that Naomi felt that she must have little sparks in them. "Naomi" Her husky voice sent shivers down Naomi's spine. "It's beautiful name. I like it."

Naomi had never paid much attention to her name, but she was suddenly very thankful for it. The girls smiled goofily at each other for a few moments before the sound of Emily's stomach growling broke the silence and caused them both to giggle.

"We better feed that beast." Naomi joked. "Come on; I'll get you some food. You should probably be resting anyway."

Naomi gathered up some food and led Emily back to Pandora's tent, ignoring all of Emily's protests that she was capable of carrying her own supper. Once they were settled inside, Emily tore into the food, listening intently as Naomi summarized the day's events. Once her initial hunger was satisified, Emily slowed her chewing and pondered all that Naomi had told her. She looked thoughtfully at Naomi.

"I saw you, you know." Naomi looked at her quizzically. "In the village. I saw you in front of a big stone building."

Naomi's eyes lit with understanding and she nodded. "I saw you too." She smiled slightly. "Well, I saw a flash of red." Her face turned serious again. "When I saw you in the trees, I knew it was you and when you fell..." Naomi took a breath to steady her shaking voice. "When you fell, I thought my heart had stopped." Her brow wrinkled in confusion and she looked almost pleadingly at Emily. "I don't understand it, Ems." Emily smiled at the nicknames that Naomi didn't seem to notice. "It's like we're tied together. When you were hurt, I felt like I had been shot. I was ready to kill your sister for trying to come between us." Naomi began to pace. "It's just...I've never felt like this before. I love Effy more than anyone in the world, but I've never felt like this about her. With you, it's like you're a part of me. Like you're essential to my very being, but I don't even _know_ you. I mean, how can one flash of red change everything?"

Emily watched Naomi grow more and more agitated. _She is magnificent, _Emily thought with a bemused grin. Finally she caught Naomi's hand causing her to still. Emily stood quickly, intending to address Naomi's concerns. Before she could speak, a wave of dizziness washed over her causing her to lose her balance. Instantly, Naomi caught her in a tight embrace, her arms snaking around Emily's waist pulling their bodies flush. Instinctively, Emily threw her arms around Naomi's neck, her fingers getting tangled in soft, blonde hair. Emily stared into Naomi's crystal blue eyes, lost in the emotions she saw there. Softly, she trailed one hand along Naomi's jaw, watching her pupils dialate in response, her own mirroring the display.

"I understand." Emily whispered. "I feel it too." Slowly she leaned forward placing a soft kiss on Naomi's lips.

The reaction was instant, like lightening striking dry brush. Naomi tightened her hold, deepening the kiss. She ran her tongue along Emily's bottom lip seeking entry which was immediately granted. Emily's hands plunged deeper into Naomi's hair as she tried to get even closer. She felt like a fire in danger of spreading out of control. Cool fingers moved along her back seeking bare skin, every touch causing the flames within her to flare. Emily's head fell back as Naomi's lips made their way down her neck leaving a trail of icy fire.

Suddenly, the tent flap burst open causing the girls to jump away from each other, their breath coming in pants.

"Oh!" Katie exclaimed, having the grace to look slightly embarrassed before she scoffed at them. "That was well quick."

Effy smirked at her. "I win."

"Shut up, Eff." Naomi blinked at Katie's casual use of the name, but was distracted as Katie's full attention came back to them. "If you two are through with your snogfest..." Emily and Naomi both blushed and avoided looking at each other. "Thomas is ready to tell us his story."

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Well? What do you think? Suggestions?


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